Improvement in apparatus for obtaining oil from running streams



UNITED STATES PATENT ,Erica THADDEUS S. SGOVILLE, OF WILLIAMSPORT,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING OIE FROM RUNNING STREAMS.

4accompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure lbeing a plan or birds-eyc view of- 0r representing a portion ot' astream with my improved apparatus applied thereto; Fig. 2, a verticalsection in a plane indicated by the line a: Fig. l.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in both gures.

The object of my invention is to save the oil which, in the petroleumregions, wastes from the wells and tanks, and which, finally finding itsway to the streams, is carried away iioatin g on the surface thereof.The greater part of this oil, by accumulation, is found on navigablerivers, and in order to produce a practicable invention for itscollection the apparatus must be so arranged as not to impede norinterfere with the navigation of the streams.

I select a portion of any stream, A, where there are rapids b, or adescent in the stream of suflicient depth-say a foot or more. At thehead or in the upper part of the rapids a sort of darn or head-race, G,is constructed on one side of the stream, so as to leave the other sideor main part of the stream open for free navigation. This head-racereaches up to still or smooth water a, above the rapids, substantiallyas shown in the drawings.

From the upper end, m, of the stream side of the head-race extends asunken bar, E, (shown by red lines in Fig. 1,) generally to the side ofthe stream on which the head-race is constructed, close upto the bank,or sufficiently near thereto, and reaching down, or near enough to thebottom to control or stop the under current of the stream toward therace. The top of the bar may reach up within, say, from six inches to afoot of the surface otl the water, so that as little ofthe water willrun into the race with the oil as practicable.

The barE and the head-race G may be made of wood orol' any othcrsuitablematerial. Also, from the upper outer end, m, of the head-race anoil-gathering bar or boom, B,'extends up on the smooth portion a of thestream far enough to reach over to the opposite bank, S, of the stream,substantially as shown in Fig..l. This oil-gatherin g bar is mostproperly and conveniently hinged to the head-race at m, so that itsupper end can be swung over the stream into any position desired, and acord,s, or its equivalent, is attached to the upper end of the bar,whereby a person standing on the near bank, T, of the stream may drawthe bar over toward that side of the stream-say into the position shownby dotted lines in Fig. l-to allow boats to pass up and down the stream.Thus the navigation of the stream is not in the least impeded norinterfered with by the apparatus; but when boats are not passing, andwhen the oil is to be collected, the gathering-bar is allowed to swingclose over to the bank S, in which position the current itself holds thebar. The bar, (generally a wooden beam,) by iioatin gon the water, sinksbelow the surface thereof sufficiently to arrest all theoil on thesurface, and thus conducts it into the head-race, where it accumulateson the surface of the water O therein.

Near the bottom of the head-race G one or more water-gates, o o, arelocated, and by hoisting these gates a little some of the watercontinually runs away, thereby keeping up a gentle current of water intothe head-race from the stream above, so as to tloat the oil readily intothe race; but these water-gates must not be opened somuch as to drain orlower the water in the head-race.

From the head-race a spout or chute, c, conducts the oil and some of thewater at the surface into a tank or reservoir, H, as in Fig. l. Aspigot, f, enables the oil to be drawn oi from the surface of thetank-Water into barrels, as at I, and another under water-gate, P,allows the surplus water to be let out of the tank.

The whole apparatus is simple, cheap, effective, and convenient.

. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The combination of the swinging or movable oil-gathering boom B,oil-colletin g race G,

with its under gate or gates o and chute o, and l paratus forcollecting' oil from the Surface of the oil-reservoir H, arrangedsubstantially as streams signed by me this 10th `day of Decemand for thepurpose herein specified. ber7 1864.

2. In combination with the oil-gathern g bar, the sunken channel-bar E,arranged and oper- THAD S' SCOVILLE' ating substantially as and for thepurpose here- Witnesses in set forth. JAMES H. POLLOGK,

The above specification of my improved ap- GEO. A. CRAMER.

